1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to the field of distributing application objects.
2. Discussion of the Background
Distribution of software has become an industry within an industry. Manufacturers of software products have the difficult task of distributing software products to system administrators. And system administrators have the difficult task of maintaining synchronization of software versions across the network of computers that they administer.
Application launching systems have been developed in an attempt to address the software distribution and maintenance needs of system administrators. Such systems are client/server systems. The server stores one or more software applications. The server also has a database in which there is stored an application object for each of the one or more software applications that the server stores. That is, each software application has a corresponding application object that is stored in the database. The application object includes information about its corresponding software application. The information may include the file name of an executable file that stores the software application as well as other information related to the software application. A client application called an Application-Launcher resides on a user's desktop computer. The Application-Launcher transmits the user's logon information to the server, which uses the information to determine the application objects that are associated with the user. The server then transmits to the Application-Launcher the software that corresponds to the determined application objects. In this way, the software applications can be stored and maintained in a central location and then automatically distributed to the end user.
In a large organization, new servers are often being connected to the organization's network. A system for easily distributing the organization's software and related application objects to these new servers is required.